Interesting tidbits for underwater forestry fan

Interesting tidbits for underwater forestry fans.

Some of the wood Hollund may harvest in Panama is Canal IPE (actually a walnut) and Canal Cumaru (teak). This wood is dense and so very hard, especially the IPE which once was used on ship's sides to repel cannon balls. And then there’s another wood – the Zapatero – its gorgeous. Zapatero is the kind of wood expensive furniture and interior trim might be made of. While these woods aren't the easiest material to work with because the wood is so hard and dense, its density makes it ideal for exterior applications, such as siding and decking, which need to withstand the elements. In larger sizes, this wood could be made into excellent architectural elements as well.

While some people still claim submerged wood is not good quality because of its long duration underwater. It should be noted that in the old days, if one wanted a ship's mast for instance, ship builders would actually bury the wood in mud for lengthy periods to starve it of oxygen before finish curing. As everyone should know, a ship's mast must be long and extremely strong and resistant to all kinds of weather.

Another interesting point is that wood left under water for long enough will actually petrify. And many of the logs submerged in Panama have been submerged for nearly 100 years, becoming so hard they have a burn rating of concrete, and almost entirely resistant to weather and termites.